Disabled persons options and concerns in a changing world

n6xf

Five years ago I decided to sell my house and pay off all debts. My thinking was that if it got to the point that getting away from the city was no longer an option, but necessary for survival, I would be ready to go. But, I didn't even consider the possibility that I might become disabled to the point where walking for more than a few minutes would be impossible. So, now here we are at a time when most options for dealing with current probabilities are not compatible with my physical abilities. I thought that it might be worthwhile for people with disabilities to share some ideas concerning things like alternative transportation, special gardening ideas for people with restricted movement in their limbs, and producing some kind of income. If it comes to the point where driving a motor vehicle is not possible due to cost, or restrictions, I'm not going to jump on a bike or hoof it around. Hummm, could I hire some litter carriers? I don't think so. I am seriously considering making a dog cart and getting a couple big dogs. Problem is that the world is not ready yet for that sort of thing. SPCA? Well, maybe the little electric cart I have may have to do for a while longer until the power plants start having problems. I tried to dig up some ground for a vegitable garden, but it turned out that growing in containers was a lot easier to do. What are some of the things that a person with physical limitations might be able to do in a barter society? I guess if you have great intellect or good artistic abilities options exist. But if I'm going to survive when the social security checks quit coming, I and many of you will need a well thought out plan. When I consider all of the things that are now coming from China that may soon become hard to get, the options seem pretty good that I can find something to produce for barter. But, as I look into it more, it gets complicated fast. I had thought about getting some water purification equipment that didn't require a lot of replacement filters and parts all the time. Water might be worth a lot at some point in the future. But, I haven't found one yet. Then there is the problem of protecting what ever I might come up with from the have-nots who will be everywhere if and when things go beyond the breaking point. So now I find that it will be a lot tougher to put together a real working solution to meet a downward turn of the economy and worsining civil conditions. If you have any ideas on how we who are limited physicaly can plan ahead for increased challenges in a world with deminishing resources, please share your ideas and plans. One thing that I belive is that communications is going to be required. When the cell towers lose power, or are turned off in the name of public safety and security, will you have anything to communicate with? I bet an old CB radio from the pawn shop will cost a pile of cash. Maybe it would be a good time to check out ham radio and learn a little about antenna construction. I am old enough to remember the CB craze back in the 70's and 80's. People were talking hundreds of miles on $50 dollar radios. Now with the internet, it seems kind of stupid to do that anymore. Well, I wonder how much longer the internet system will be around? How easy is it to shut down? So, how many people can we reach with our little radio to let people know what we are making to barter off for items we need? Nice thing about a 5 watt CB is that it will run off a solar panel charged car battery. I see those solar chargers for under $20 bucks now. I wonder how much they will be in the future? Maybe I have found something to do in the coming times after all. Let's hear your ideas and plans that a disabled person might be able to do.

Ludi

This is an important topic to me. My first piece of advice is to do something which I haven't been very successful at achieving myself, and that is to make, find, or otherwise become part of a mutual support community, such as an extended family, closeknit rural or neighborhood community, or intentional community. Develop some skills and knowledge which you might be able to use even under various degrees of disability, so you have something to contribute to the community.

For those who have to go it alone or as a couple, it will likely be more difficult. For myself and my husband, I'm trying to gradually adjust the area around our home to be easier to navigate with failing limbs. My husband has bad feet and joints even at a young age (49), so I expect him to be walking with a cane or walker at some point. Smoothing paths and trying to get rid of tripping hazards, etc. I may build a ramp to the front door, or put in deep steps when I rebuild that front porch.

I'm trying to reconfigure the gardens to be easier to enter and move around in, also putting the vegetable garden much closer to the house - just out the back door. We'll also have a large rain tank out there, from which we could potentially pump water to a tank on the second floor, for use in the house.

There's probably a lot more I can do, if I think of anything more, I'll post it.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy

Heineken

Learn a skill that minimizes the impact of your disability and takes advantage of your strengths. For example, if you can't walk, perhaps you could learn gunsmithing, tool sharpening, weaving, or some other skill that will be in healthy demand as conditions continue to deteriorate.

I don't know about the dog-cart idea. Large dogs can be very expensive to feed, and if food is in short supply, the idea may not be at all practical. I have a dog and have noticed the dry food I buy her increase from $9.99 to $14.99 per sack in just the past two years.

I have a special sympathy for the disabled because I lost the use of my hands and arms for one entire year (2006) due to a painful nerve disease---reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). I couldn't even tie my shoes. To type, I had to use a pencil held in my mouth. Miraculously, I recovered. Many people don't, and the disease spreads to other parts of the body.

Good luck to you, and welcome.
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"Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog

"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother

Muckingfess

First, please use paragraphs as your post was difficult to read.

I, too, am disabled. I am able to drive, but cannot walk or stand for more than about 5 minutes.

Transportation- I'm thinking about one of the 49cc scooters for travel if I have to. They get about 100 mpg and are not terribly expensive.

Food- I have no garden or place for one. I do have a couple of tomato plants that survive in spite of anything I do. I am building my stores of staples. I'll have to barter for eggs, milk, ect.

I am in a very defendable location. I have the tools necessary to do so and the supplies and knowledge to do it effectively. This is important as being disabled will make you a target.

For barter I will have liquor and tobacco. I read somewhere here that someone is planning on using ammo for barter. I might, but it would be one bullet at a time and only if I find myself in dire straits.

How long will I survive? Until I give up!
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kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1313

Part of my plan for the organic farm is to find some hired help. They get room and board in exchange for work around the place. The food part is a simple matter-its part of their job to grow it. I have to come up with housing and utilities.

As your house is paid off, renting out spare rooms could provide an income source. Having someone around to do some work may offer at least a partial solution for you. Even if you can produce some sort of product, you still have to gather materials and get it to market.
_________________
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984

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Accept the Facts.

UselessEater · Coal Joined: Jul 05, 2008 Posts: 3

I'm disabled -- paralyzed from the waist down as the result of a motorcycle accident in 1984. Since about 1999-2000, I have always known that I will be completely and irretrievably Fark if even moderately dire scenarios surrounding Peak Oil come to pass. If the worst situations occur, then... it's all she wrote. No question about it. Time to kiss-your-gimp-ass-goodbye.

People are funny when it comes to the disabled -- they are always disingenuously encouraging. On these forums, they happily chirp on about an inevitable human die-off in which the total global population is reduced to Earth's natural carrying capacity. But now, as they are talking to a disabled person in this thread, they will feed him/her all sorts of positive baloney about how survival is possible if you just try a little bit.

I know it's horseshit.

But I don't really feel too badly about my own situation either. To tell you the truth, it doesn't matter whether I live or die even now in times of easy living. If times get really bad and people start to go without food and necessary things - the ranks of the disabled will suddenly explode, because people are generally rather frail, and there are many, many ways to be disabled in life.

Once there are many millions of disabled people, being a disabled person will not warrant the slightest sympathy (or extra energy expenditure) whatsoever. There will simply be far too many of them to bother about.

And that is, of course, the law of the natural world - the sick, the weak and the incompetent die-off quickly. They will die-off not only because of the lack of modern amenities; they will die-off because the able-bodied WANT them to die off! It's a matter of biology. Maybe Americans 10 - 15 years hence will not use the same term the Nazi's did -- "Useless Eater" -- but the resentment towards anyone unable to pull his/her own weight will only grow in times when even the best of us have trouble pulling weight that gasoline once hauled.

I've written probably 10 - 15 emails to different peak oil notables over the years asking them about what sort of future I, as a disabled person, could expect and prepare for.

No one has ever replied.

killJOY · Fission Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 2509 Location: ^NNE^

This is a heartbreaking topic.

Find those who care about you. Stick with them. Start a craft or trade, as you are able.
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"By the time individuals discover that remaining resources will not be adequate for the next generation, the next generation has already been born. " David Price

Ludi

killJOY · Fission Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 2509 Location: ^NNE^

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 7738

Can't drive, my muscles short out with repetitious movement, particularly upper body, brain doesn't work right either. Biggest headache is trying to get anything physical done. If I garden for more than a couple of hours, shifting from one activity to another every few minutes to avoid difficulty, I'm often unable to move for a few days, following. That's why I'm online so much...I'm nearly always in recovery mode.(Not that I don't dearly love you people! Laughing

)

What I can do is cook, so I plan to barter that skill, one way or the other, in the future, if I have to. I garden with my good friend and neighbour. She does what I find difficult, and I do what she finds tedious, like watering. My husband does the real heavy lifting. We are sharing the proceeds of the garden equally.

I can't recommend this enough. There are so many people who don't have access to sufficient sun or space, who want to garden. If you have the room and are partially or completely disabled, offer the able bodied use of your land.

It's really important that a person try to contribute and help others as much as they can. What goes around comes around. The lessons you learn being disabled could be part of a steep learning curve, emotionally and spiritually. In that we are so lucky, and could be indispensable in the future.

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 7738

Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6265

The disabled?
Oh your good and screwed. At least most of us can life with the optimistically shallow thoughts that we can forge our own way in life. Its generally a lie, but the disabled?
Oh your good and screwed.

What do you want me to say, seriously? You have about 3 good options.

1) Family who actually cares about you
2) Learn a skill as mentioned above like sharpening blades or gunsmithing.
3) Be well to do enough to rise above it. For example be the land owner and rent out the land to people to live and work. You take a portion of thier work as rent and can live that way.

Unfortunately option 2 is really only valid if society generally "keeps it together". In a free fall situation, well....Your just good and screwed.

My opinion, and truly no offense meant. But I also wont sugar coat it for you.
_________________
"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the
Abyss, the Abyss gazes also into you."

Ammo at a gunfight is like bubblegum in grade school: If you havent brought enough for everyone, you're in trouble

كا&#

Ludi

I'm guessing anyone who isn't a young fit male, or a young fit beautiful female is screwed in your scenario, Spec.

<<<<<totally screwed
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy

pedalling_faster · Intermediate Crude Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 914

one place for networking up and matching capabilities is DisaBoom.net

most of the people i know who are disabled are partially disabled, they can still do work & contribute, they just don't fit easily into the 40 (or 60 hour) work-week that is common in Silicon Valley or academia.
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KingM

The disabled aren't going to be ground up for fertilizer. That's just silly.

They've found Neanderthal digs with permanently disabled individuals who were cared for by their tribes. Every village throughout history has had the lame, not that their lot in life was always good, but they were cared for. The key is to find a tribe or village.

And I think the idea of finding a useful skill like tool sharpening is an excellent one. If you can do something useful with your hands, you will not be one of the disabled ones in the first several years of the collapse, you will be one of the ones who can still earn a living.

(Besides which, I don't think we're going in the direction of a collapse. Depression, maybe.)